Reviews of French Lover / Bois d'Orage by Editions de Parfums Frederic Malle

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French Lover is a devastating formalist poem about the thermodynamics of presence. It is seductive only through its promise of invincible restraint. It creates nothing less than a minimal field of maximal clarity.

When you put on French Lover,

"Then there is nothing to think of. It comes of itself;
And east rushes west and west rushes down,
No matter. The grass is full

And full of yourself. The trees around are for you,
The whole of the wideness of night is for you,
A self that touches all edges,

You become a self that fills the four corners of night."

French Lover is this weightless Geist of imagination in Wallace Stevens’s “A Rabbit as King of the Ghosts.”

The perfume strips away decoration in the open and presents bitter green galbanum and the crisp wash of citric juniper, as though you’ve run your hand through a hedgerow. I also sense a buried violet-leaf sweetness stippled with spicy black pepper. Haunting angelica arrives quickly, adding a green powder and a confidently restrained animal musk. Parched cedar and vetiver settle into the base and grow in intensity, keeping the juniper particularly vibrant above them.

After an hour the push off skin is severely diminished (as most note), but a subtle incense or vetiver smoke suffuses the woody, musky base. Every note remains represented as the perfume flattens to the skin and hums there for four more hours. Short-lived indeed, but perfect.

French Lover claims a minimal though unassailable sovereignty—a dominance not by force but by a totalizing and perfect fit within the limits of its own cold material geometry. In this way it is the structural pair to Chanel No. 19 (1970): a perfume equally austere, equally alive. Despite their almost hostile coolness, something uncanny moves through both perfumes. Something properly disturbing, and—for the right people—quite bewitching.

In Stevens’s poem, the rabbit rises until it becomes stone, “like a carving in space,” and the entire world below shrinks to a bug in the grass.

Wear French Lover and become a floating king as well—suzerain of a ghostly forest, where all the trees and the wideness of night are for you.
7th March 2026
300115
Green and woody, this one has some appeal to it. I could have sworn I got a pinch of sandalwood. I guess that's the cedar note. I get a little spice followed by incense. Wet tree bark with the roots and some soil in a nice way. Some will love and some will probably dislike this one. I happen to like this gem. Projection and longevity is average. 7/10
11th January 2026
298128

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I bought this on a trip to visit a friend and I remember the the day I bought it and wore the test spray out of the shop I could not feel any more obsessed with the scent.
Something about it makes you want to revisit it over and over. I love a fragrance like this especially on moody overcast days. It's one that pulls masculine in the best way, I personally wear it as a woman, but if I smelled this on a man I would for sure be interested in his good taste.
20th October 2025
295588
smells like the video game hollow knights world. sort of melancholic wet nature
4th September 2025
294125
I’ve never had a French lover, so I can’t tell you if this is accurate. Do all French people who are someone’s lover smell this way? If so, I should get me one asap. Apparently, the alternate name, Bois d’Orage, was given to the perfume to quell puerile Americans like myself. Ok, I’ll stop being facetious now. Malle’s French Lover by the legendary Pierre Bourdon is no laughing matter, particularly the way it’s been treated while under the heavy thumb of Estee Lauder. Several Malles had to go through reformulations when EL insisted they stay in the lineup while fully complying, without any leeway, to IFRA regulations. Reformulating is very expensive and yields no guarantees. Malle is the type that if he cannot stay true to the original to exacting parameters he would rather discontinue the perfume; his zealotry for being technically faithful to a composition and maintaining its innocence is no surprise. Though he hasn’t said that in as many words, what Malle has told us is that to save enormous sums of time and money, both factors greatly affecting the ability to craft new perfumes, some of his old-guard compositions fell on the sword. French Lover, to my nose, is one of them. Although the new formulation is not terribly far off, it’s not the same; the newer formulation(s) have had the salty sweatiness and beastly animalic musks quietened, and the longevity is noticeably shorter. Perhaps we can say our French lover has gotten older and calmed down a bit. Otherwise, it's the same perfume.

The green and bitter opening, thanks to galbanum and violet leaf, and the bitter aromatic fruit of juniper, still arrests attention. They string their way down to heart and base notes of angelica, woods, incense, vetiver, and musks. The salt and sweat of the vetiver are dialed back a bit in new formulations, as is the muskiness, as mentioned, but woody, smokey (cigarette smoke?) incense, and softly green angelica are still there and in fine form. It's old school yet modern, natural but toys with the synthetic, a bit crude and brash yet perfectly capable of staccato sophistication, comfortably masculine and comfortably feminine all at once. It's fantastic.
25th July 2025
292718
The third fragrance by Pierre Bourdon on my shelf, French Lover (formerly Bois d’Orage or “Storm wood”, a much more fitting moniker), is incredibly satisfying to spray on. To me, it achieves perfect aromatic harmony.

The galbanum, violet leaf, pepper, and angelica are such natural complements of vetiver, that they all sparkle as a single, bracing, bitter-green, slightly sweet but rooty, and bitingly earthy pick-me-up. This is tonic perfumery right here: as invigorating as that first deep breath of cold mountain air in the early morning.

The incense and orris root round out the bite, and the musk in the drydown is subtle and sexy. FL feels natural yet modern; only a well judged (i.e. not spiky, unobtrusive) woody amber is used in the base to propel it through the workday. The juice is masculine, smooth, and sensuous. Exactly my jam.
29th October 2024
285489
A sales associate at Barney’s (RIP) introduced me to Bois D’Orage in 2008. I was still exploring dark, gothic scents but never forgot about it as an elegant, daytime scent.

Finally picked it up last week. This is a Feb 2023 batch. A few different wearings have revealed a few different facets. Poking around online I see the now renamed as French Lover has a cult following that matches my memories of it. If anything it’s a little more vivid than I remember but it’s all there. Rooty, vegetal, green, at times the cedar giving pencil shavings, at others the vetiver and incense…for such austere notes the scent is a real carousel ride. It’s not linear. Each wearing emphasizes and highlights different facets. I had bought this as a daily daytime warm weather companion but it’s almost too good for that. I have not been a fan of spicy, peppery wood scents that have proliferated in the last decade and a half in the manosphere, I don’t like vetiver…this, however, remains a blend that transcends the shortcomings of the components I’ve described. Where pencil shavings, peppered woods, vetiver, can be screechy and harsh, French Lover is suave, the edges are sanded, the overall effect is enchanting. Glad I got my hands on this before it went away
13th May 2024
287590
I remember long ago, someone I dated for a short while and he wore this (it was called Bois d'Orage at the time). Since I already had Vetiver Extraordinaire at the time and wasn't so monied, I just appreciated it a great deal, even though in the end I didn't quite appreciate him as much. There was something about the spiky green ether and effervescence that drew me in, and I recognized the vetiver (I was new to that note at the time!). What I didn't know was the angelica that was the centerpiece, and that is magic of what we now know as French Lover (I rather miss the old moniker).

It is believed that Pierre Bourdon composed French Lover as are more robust version of Frederic Malle's Angeliques Sous la Pluie, rendering it warmer, piquant, nearly coniferous, and transitioning the accord to a huggable, comforting earthy amber as the sparkle and tingle subsides. It opens like an incantation and expands outward into a meditation. Galbanum renders it verdant and wild, and I could swear from my familiarity with it that galbanum resin is used in addition to the essential oil. I could be wrong, but its just a hunch.

It captures the romance of nature, the suggestions of undergrowth, but is also grounded and approachable, embracing me with reassurance. Calm, but not shy, it carries with me as my morning accelerates and decelerates with me at just the right time in the afternoon. It's a true love for a tree hugger like myself and long haunted me until I revisited again and was thrilled that it smelled just as I remembered.
27th September 2023
274904
Fantastic, starts pretty strong and rough, chopped carrot and green leaves, then turns into a gorgeous low-key refreshing scent, not too dissimilar from Cartier Roadster or Hermes Voyage, but with a bit more complexity and feels more natural and smoother. I'm impressed. Can't decide if i like this or Geranium Pour Monsieur better. Lasts 4-7 hours on my skin, 4 until it's really weak, and you can still detect it 6+ hours later, but no chance anyone else will ever be able to.
8th June 2023
273747
I tested this at a department store (John Lewis). It very quickly became a quite heavy oud fragrance which isn’t even listed in the notes??? Very strange and pretty unpleasant.
3rd March 2023
270274
A perfume, yet another, of the Malle house that gives me the feeling of incompleteness. As I have already said for Musc Ravageur, the scent is also beautiful in this case, not a little, but it lacks in performance for me. Low persistence, immediately very ethereal scent, minimal wake. What a great pity ... That said, it is a great male perfume, with a bitter and fresh green opening and a beautiful woody evolution. Heart and base I prefer them to the opening notes. I would like to add it to the collection but boh, as much as I like it, I am afraid that I would end up preferring other more performing perfumes and that allow me to feel them on for the duration of the working day.
19th November 2022
266154
Very interesting ''old school'' perfume.

Frederic Malle asked JC Ellena for a stronger and more intense version of Angelique Sous La Pluie. JCE worked on the formula for several months and he almost finished it - however at the time he signed the contract to be the exclusive nose for Hermes. So he was not allowed to give his formula to Frederic or to work with Frederic anymore.
Malle called JCE and asked him if he could advise him on who could do the job instead of him and JCE recommended Malle's longtime family friend - Pierre Bourdon. Malle asked JCE to share the initial idea and concept of the formula with Bourdon so that he could complete it and put his “final touch”. And here we are... we've got the French Lover.
It's not a secret that French Lover was kind of a collaboration and that the inspiration was ASLP. The story is verified from a Frederic Malle book I bought in Paris.

If you are in the USA, you will find French Lover under the name "Bois D'Orage".

Another interesting fact is that this is the last perfume that Pierre Bourdon created.

French Lover might be one of the safest picks from the house.
Woody, slightly spicy, wet and cold smell of the forest after the rain - when the aromas start to evaporate from the soil. It is quite green and vegetal. It’s not a classic woody perfume you'd expect to smell when you see the notes.
Very natural scent of cedar wood.
Quality should not be mentioned when it comes to Frederic Malle. It's always top notch.

Projection and longevity are probably one of the weakest from the house.
It projects for an hour or two, very moderate...
Longevity is solid, definitely over 10-12h. But just slightly stronger than a skin scent.

But if you want your perfume to "dominate" from you - then you might need to skip this perfume.
25th March 2022
256941
An entirely pleasant surprise. For me, it's about the gossamer interplay between the vetiver, iris, and incense, but the patchouli manages to impart a delicately sweet vibrance without adding significant weight. I chanced this sample for the Friday Summer Solstice sync, and it couldn't have been more perfect. Bourdon at his best.
14th September 2021
247637
I love it... and then I can't smell it anymore. I was told a certain synthetic ingredient in it causes anosmia. Whether or not that's the case, after about 15 minutes I can't smell this on myself. A shame, because it's stunning.
19th June 2021
244469
Wow! If I were to commission my own scent it would end up very much like this (which I suppose is the whole point of the Malle Line). Classy but not too try-hard, fresh yet unique. Masculine and effortlessly stylish.

Opening with a bracing G&T accord. U get the Angelica and other green, clean botanicals such as juniper. This is a very fresh, green, leafy G&T. The green feel becomes gradually more damp and very slightly dirtied (musk) and darker (woods, Vetiver) - like foraging in a lush green woodland, precipitation in the air. It's not so much the woodland floor but more the leafy layers around eye level. It's quite herbal and borders on medicinal, almost bringing to mind notes of lovage, dill and the piquant pimento. Some ultra-Clean incense adds to the development.

If you want to 'picture' the smell look up images of Angelica because this smells exactly what that looks like!

This really shines in all seasons. When worn in Spring it feels made for Spring: ditto Summer, Autumn etc. There is some family resemblance to Coolwater, GIT and Malle's GPM - this one almost has a minty freshness without the overdose of mint found in GPM. Surely one of Bourdon's very best.

90/100 (and no I didn't deduct marks for the silly name - there's nothing particularly French here. If it must be placed geographically how about Nordic Lover).
10th February 2021
239109
The opening is a nice, natural woody floral with plenty of cedar and earthy vetiver. The earthy vetiver is the star of the opening, smelling like damp, freshly shoveled dirt. The woodiness is there too so the idea of planting trees or working around a tree root in the ground while digging is what comes to mind.

The dry down is very refined and pleasing, casting off a musky, dry woody scent. There's a sweet and fruity ambroxan that reveals itself at the end of the scent.

Good longevity and solid projection.
7th November 2020
235612
Opens green, bitter and spicy followed by a clear cedar note. The best way to describe it is that is smells of freshly cut woods in a forest on a rainy day. Earthy and moist at first progresses to dry woods with spicy undertones. A nice rooty vetiver envelops the woody heart and transparent clouds of incense straightens the earthy character. Very nice balance of notes and composition, great manly scent.
4th January 2019
211304
A crisp white oxford shirt in a greenhouse that has opened its windows.

French Lover blends lighter notes of brisk, aromatic woods and peppery angelica with the heft of grassy, smoky vetiver and a slug of vegetal, earthy galbanum. It manages to simultaneously convey both clean, confident contours with plenty of breathing room and a dark, rich, if not murky foundation.

Decent longevity, excellent for humid days. The fragrance reads as masculine but I like to pair it with minimalist and monochromatic looks. Would be great with pressed slacks and black patent leather stilettos.
19th June 2018
203070
Top marks for being realistic!!

I mean this smells like you just juiced a green leaf and stalk and then rubbed it all over your body. Not my cup of tea but if you are that way inclined then could be ideal.
12th May 2018
201431
Best perfume ever created. Period. For Me. Unfortunately there was a slight reformulation since the Lauder takeover and it has changed. I'd say it's about 85%-90% the same so it's not a bad reform, but still, the original is a complete masterpiece. Pierre Bourdon will forever hold a place in my heart for creating this.
24th March 2018
199416
Most people seem to be agreed that French Lover is a misleading epiphet for this creation, and the alternative name of Bois d'Orage or Stormwood suits it much better.

It's a nice angelica roots note. If you don't know what angelica roots oil smells like, you do now. There is a rank "methylated spirits" aspect, which may be what Katie Puckrik was referring to when she described her association to her father in his dirty overalls. Luca Turin describes a similar impression. Whether the perfume actually contains pyridine seems unlikely, but it certainly smells like it does.

All the same, Bois d'Orage - I can't think of it as French Lover - is a great fragrance, dry, daring, and different. It has more character than its close cousin, Angeliques sous la Pluie, and I like that one well enough, but Bourdon's creation just caps it. There is a peppery aspect too, very similar to that found in the fragrance Laurel from Comme des Garcons.

The drydown is a woody-amber odour characteristic of materials (timberol, karanal, amber xtreme etc) which are as powerful as they are ubiquitous. This warm and pungent smell with its slightly sweaty aspect may underlie Bourdon's comment that he was aiming for a fragrance which acts as a skin enhancer, amplifying the natural odour of manliness.

Here, at last, may be our French Lover. The dosage is restrained, which is fortunate since these materials are very tenacious and in regular use will accumulate on clothing.

20th January 2018
218436
How curious. I liked the opening few minutes, all wet leaves and such, and thought I might have found something with galbanum that I enjoyed. But then I went to smell my arm again and lo it had transformed into...the smell of dried fish scales, perhaps a few weeks old. Not strong, but not going away any time soon. Unsure where that's coming from--something ammoniac I guess (where's Luca Turin when you need him?). As a result this is not for me.
3rd January 2018
196015
I really enjoyed the initial 45 minutes of this - invigorating and interesting - on occasion have made me smile a bit. After that it becomes a very serious and depressing scent, the metallic, the dirty-sweaty and the low-pitched woody/spicy smells dominate. I get an image of a man having chopped wood and dug dirt for hours, standing half-naked exhausted in the dark summer forest.

I have a similar problem with Hermann by etat libre d'orange, another scent that starts off good but goes more and more metallic, unpleasant and bland. FL is not as bad - it keeps some small degree of interest in me. I'm mostly offended by how bored I get by both of these scents.

Lasts a very long time on me, just like the above mentioned ELDO fragrance.
23rd December 2017
195547
The opening is quite original in its combination of angelica and vetiver, resulting in an aroma of wet leaves in a forest; the woodsy contribution by the cedar wood becomes increasingly more substantial further into the drydown. The vetiver's earthy touch adds another facet to this olfactory nature sketch.

Galbanum and patchouli arise in the later stages, and together with a gentle incense note in the background that dominate the base. The incense is mild, and only towards the end expresses a touch of a balsamic undertone, very discreetly only.

I get moderate sillage, very good projection and eight hours of longevity on my skin.

And autumnal daytime scent that is well-executed, displaying good structure and creative touches. 3.25/5.
30th July 2017
189464